I got this nice glass cabochon from a friend of mine, Paul Bailey. I just love this pattern with it's organic look and thought I'd do this one as a ring.  Funny thing, lots of inquiries about rings lately.  I have had some inconsistent results with a few rings lately, and I guess I needed some time away from them. I am planning to do some in the near future and "get back on the horse" so to speak. The big rings are really in fashion now, and if any of them don't come out just right, I will get a few pretties to wear for myself. I guess you could say I sometimes get the "second" quality pieces. Funny though, people don't see the mistakes like I do. Some of the second quality items could probably be sold, but I just keep them for myself or give them away to friends:=) Are you wearing big rings? 

Sasha

Emmaus Cross

I finished the Emmaus cross I had been working on and then got orders for three more :-) I will repost the Emmaus concept :

The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The program's approach seriously considers the model of Christ's servanthood and encourages Christ's disciples to act in ways appropriate to being "a servant of all."

The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church. The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion. The "Emmaus community," made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend, support the 72-hour experience with a prayer vigil, by preparing and serving meals, and other acts of love and self-giving. The Emmaus Walk typically begins Thursday evening and concludes Sunday evening. Men and women attend separate weekends.

During and after the three days, Emmaus leaders encourage participants to meet regularly in small groups. The members of the small groups challenge and support one another in faithful living. Participants seek to Christianize their environments of family, job, and community through the ministry of their congregations. The three-day Emmaus experience and follow-up groups strengthen and renew Christian people as disciples of Jesus Christ and as active members of the body of Christ in mission to the world.

I often design pieces for my customers based on things they have seen elsewhere. This necklace is based on a piece in a recent Athleta catalog. The original, at $159, was made of amazonite. My version is designed with some beautiful turquoise beads that I found especially for this project. Don't you love how the bunch just "flows"? It is made with an adjustable cord to let the wearer adjust the length and choose just the right spot for the beads to hang.